Trust Like a Cat

My home is graced with two adorable kitties. These fur babies of mine have completely different personalities, and I have come to love each of their quirks. Let me tell you about them.

Jack is a three-year-old tabby who is one of the strangest cats I’ve ever seen. He’s big and lanky, with slightly rounded ears and huge eyes. Since we got him from the animal shelter, we don’t know his real pedigree, but we highly suspect that he’s got more than a little Bengal in him. Jack is very adventurous, and we initially picked him from the animal shelter because, from the moment we held him, he was just this tiny thing with huge ears that began climbing all over us and purring.

And then, there’s Artemis. She is our two-year-old tabby with poofy orange fur and the most pathetic squeak of a meow. When we decided we needed a companion for Jack while Jonny and I were at work during the day, we thought it best to get one somewhat different from him. Jack was (and still kind of is) a trouble maker, and extremely energetic. He literally destroyed all of Jonny’s ties. So, when we went back to the shelter, we had in our minds that we needed a calmer cat.

Let’s just say that Arty took that idea to a whole new level. We held her for the first time and she was just a floppy fuzz ball. I remember saying to Jonny, “Are you sure you want that one?” He did and she came home with us. And I grew to love her in a completely different way.

Fast forward a year, and Jonny and I were in McAllen, Texas getting ready to move to Berrien Springs, Michigan. As we were packing up our stuff, we noticed that the cats were handling the changes quite differently. We like to call Jack a passionate guy. Basically, everything he does, he does wholeheartedly, whether it is jumping super high to catch a bug on the wall, or terrorizing Arty around the house, or snuggling on my lap. Wherever he goes, he walks with a purpose. Also, did I mention that he’s brilliant? Just for one example, he realized I thought it was super cute when he would paw at his own reflection in the bathroom mirror, so he started doing it so I would give him water from the sink. It took me longer than it should have to figure that one out.

The problem that comes with his intelligence and passion is that Jack realized right away that something was different. He started getting nervous and jumpy constantly. He was less friendly. He would constantly plant himself in boxes and suitcases so as to ensure that he was invited wherever we were obviously going. Jack worked himself into such a frenzy that he started scratching his head in a self-destructive manner that eventually led to an ear infection and a nasty scratch on the top of his head that he kept ripping open.

Meanwhile, there was Arty. Bless her heart, Arty. As Coker aptly stated, “That cat doesn’t have two brain cells to rub together.” Let’s just say she’s a simple kitty. The thing is, she wasn’t nervous about the move at all. She clearly noticed that stuff was going on. Our couch disappeared. The office was covered floor to ceiling in boxes. But she was still her simple, happy self.

Obviously, in the scheme of things, I identify more with Jack. Scary stuff happens in the world that I don’t understand, maybe my world turns upside down, and my first instinct is to freak out and try to fix it myself. Even though my attempts end up just hurting me. And not fixing anything. And the problem doesn’t go away.

In the long run, it’s better to react to things like Artemis. When my world is changing, and I don’t understand the future, it’s much better to depend on God and believe that he will not let go of me.

Granted, my analogy only goes so far because these are cats that I’m talking about and they don’t have the ability to reason like humans. But, here’s a biblical example that illustrates the same point:

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15

Sometimes we overthink things and get too hung up on things we don’t understand. I think it’s completely fine to ask questions, but if it gets in the way of our trust in God, I think it’s important to check yourself. Sometimes faith and trust is all there is. And with that comes the peace of knowing that God is in control and he has your best interest in mind.

Stephanie Wilczynski has been involved with Enspire Productions since 2009. She is pursing an MA in English and Religious Education at Andrews University.